Pink Makes Me Uncomfortable
by Alba Aulbath
Summary: An unfortunate event leaves the Flash to temporarily room with the Question. Flash is naive, and the others have a big problem with Question. (contains slash, not part of Onions and Cakes)
1. Questionable Arrangements

**Disclaimers and Useless/Useful Stuff to Know:**  
Don't own Justice League. Never did, never will. Somewhere anywhere in Justice League Unlimited. Post-Doomsday Sanction, I think.Fic does briefly mention a previous fic, but there's zero need to read it. For curiosity's sake, it was 'All the Matters Aside From Heroism'.

Contains slash. Fair warning. Enjoy your read.

* * *

**Pink Makes Me Uncomfortable**

by Alba Aulbath

* * *

For sometime, it had been Wally who made the first step, as always, to offering a hand in friendship. Generally, most in the League accepted that it was more of a 'we're all co-workers not friends' situation. The Question felt it was more of a 'they'll be useful but they could also have a bad motivation' situation for himself, generally speaking. Regardless, it had been the Flash who naively offered to him lunch in Central City.

To be honest, Question hadn't been sure when it was the last time he ever ate out with anyone, whether or not it was friendship or otherwise. It had been especially strange, since he knew the opinion of his sanity that Flash had for him, though he supposed since a good lot of them were a little crazy that worked anyway for the speedster.

So it had been the Flash, that time, told him he'd be there as Wally because Question had already known who he was and who Batman was and probably had a profile on everyone on the planet for all anyone knew.

So it had been that the Question attempted to trust someone after what felt like too many years and had come as Vic Sage instead of the faceless detective set out for the ultimate Truth.

So it had been they continued to eat lunch together every Friday at 12:37.

And this Friday, it was a little off, and Vic was what everyone would have called 'paranoid', in spite of his lack of expression.

What first made him concerned was when Wally did not show up at the right time. The Fastest Man Alive should have no problem making it to an appointment, after all. Still, he assumed that there was a distraction, so he waited patiently for about a half hour. So it was about 1:16 PM EST that Vic started to be worried about the speedster, to say the least.

Stepping out from the cafe and approaching the nearest alleyway, he calmly pressed his comlink. "Martian?"

"He's not here. What is it?" came Green Lantern's voice instead.

Well. That was also concerning. "Where's the Flash?"

Hesitation; Vic could tell. "He's out right now."

"Where did the Martian and Flash go?"

Definitely more hesitation. There was something either drastic going on, or something worse than drastic - which was not something Vic wanted to consider.

"Look, something happened in Central City, and Flash is-"

"-Central City. That's all I need."

There was clear annoyance in Green Lantern's tone. "Question, this is their business. You're not free to stick your nose into it."

"Wally's business is my business, Lantern. I'm out." For the time being, Vic turned off his communicator - as much as hearing Lantern's faint surprised tone would have been amusing for having spoken the Flash's civilian name - and went to find himself transportation to Central City.

* * *

It was hardly something that Vic had been expecting.

Wally West's apartment was, all in all, demolished. For whatever reason, it was smoldering ashes along with the rest of the complex. Something he did not, of course, think was a coincidence. Someone was undoubtedly after Wally.

Which definitely made it his business.

There were firemen and policemen backing people away, reporters looking for a story, and Vic was just looking for a Martian and a motormouth. From the bits he could hear from the crowd, no one had seen who was responsible, though the detective was still intent of making a suspect list.

Almost frowning, Vic circled around the destroyed complex. _Martian?_ he thought out for J'onn.

_...Question?_

Good. He was within the area. _Where's Wally?_

_He is with me. We are by the orphanage; it was the safest place he could think of._

_I'll be right there._

Vic could honestly tell himself that he was surprised to not sense hesitation from the Martian, not the way that he could hear it from Lantern. Then again, J'onn was one of the few people he did respect, and there was a reason for that. Nodding, he continued his way down the street, setting up his mask.

Around the corner, after a few blocks, he was able to spot an average-looking man with dusty-colored hair next to Wally; the Question recognized it as J'onn's human form he had created for himself. Approaching, he had caught the redhead's attention and the speedster glanced up; fortunately, he was careful about calling out the Question's name.

"Sorry 'bout lunch," Wally grinned weakly.

"You're paying next time." The Question glanced to J'onn. "What happened?"

Shaking his head, the Martian responded, "We are not sure right now."

"I'll worry about who caused it later. Did you actually see what happened?"

J'onn frowned faintly. "Wally had just stepped out, and there was an explosion. Those who were inside... did not survive." The red-haired speedster let out a heavy sigh and the Martian placed a hand to his shoulder. "There is no one to blame but the cause - not yourself," J'onn told him. Wally just nodded.

On a typical basis, the Question would go out to get as many answers at once on account for the absolute truth. However, he hesitated, glancing from Wally to the Martian, and decided that asking questions would be... later. Without Wally around to hear about it.

"I'll take him to Hub City. You worry about this for now," the Question told the alien.

J'onn tilted his head down, looking at the younger of the three of them. "That is acceptable?"

Wally was teetering between 'acting like it never happened' and the hard realization that it did indeed happen; he squinted at the Question, then nodded. "Yeah okay," he agreed with a sigh.

"I will be in contact, Question. Though your investigative skills would be most useful."

Question shrugged. "Batman can get a head start." Though he did not, in any form or way, insinuate that he would not attempt to find out the cause. He took Wally by the wrist and went on his way to lead him away.

* * *

"...You have pink curtains."

"Yes."

"That's not exactly, uh..."

"Yes?"

"...Never mind."

Vic didn't seem even slightly offended. It had been a few hours of a drive, since he was not feeling inclined to force Wally to run for both of them, and the kid probably needed time to think to himself, anyway. He had calmed, a little - enough so he didn't look ready to crack, anyway. Though the moment they went into Vic's apartment in downtown Hub City - which wasn't a bad apartment at all, plenty of space and all, though it looked like the papers were happily decorating both the desks, tables, and walls and some parts of the floor - Wally had immediately noted some of the decorations and Vic's lack of taste. In his opinion, anyway.

Well, maybe some men didn't have a problem with pink. After all, with the way Parasite strutted around, nobody was laughing at him. Then again, it was Parasite - a supervillain and one who unexplainably creeped out Wally - and therefore not something to take into account. Especially when it related to a crazy guy like Vic.

"I coulda stayed at Bruce's," Wally told him, in a tone that suggested guilt and was not something the detective approved of.

Vic raised a brow ever-so-slightly. "Did you want to?"

"Well... kindanotreally. He wouldn't be there a lot. Uh, don't get me wrong - Alfred is awesome company, but... well..."

"Then don't worry about it. Sit down before you collapse." Vic turned his head to look at Wally. "If the Martian contacts us, let me worry about it."

"Oh. ... 'Kay." Wally found himself the couch in a matter of seconds and immediately got comfortable, flopping down onto his side.

Once he was positive of himself that Wally was unconscious, Vic took off his hat and turned to the television, turning it on to pay attention to the news report on the explosion in Central City. Nothing new yet, not surprising. He'd probably hear from J'onn before anything new on the TV.

He turned it off and remained silent, considering as he glanced around at the apartment, then at Wally.

Vic took down the curtains and went to find some different ones.

* * *

And so it was, Wally awoke to the smell of many cheeseburgers and fries and other delightful greasey morsels that his hyper-accelerated metabolism enjoyed; it fortunately (and temporarily) distracted him from remembering troubles from before. However, when he started to sit up, he was pretty damned sure that he heard music in the next room over and he completely did not recognize this apartment.

Just as he started to stand up from the couch, he could hear Vic speaking out from the room with the pop music that made him raise the Eyebrow: "Thirty-six cheeseburgers, mayo, lettuce, tomato, ketchup. Eighteen large fries, eighteen chicken nuggets, ten large cherry Cokes. ... And a pickle."

Wally hesitated. "...I don't like pickles."

"I know. It was for me."

"Oh." Otherwise, it was an order of perfection. Wally, peering into the room where Vic was in (it had newspaper clippings and other apparent... obsessions pinned up on the wall). "You have a problem," Wally decided to inform him.

"Mm-hmm." Vic didn't seem inclined to disagree, doing something on his laptop - Wally couldn't quite see what. "Go eat."

"...Are you listening to Savage Garden?"

"Mm-hmm," was repeated. The detective glanced up, almost raising his brow. "Why?"

Wally shrugged. "Sorry, but you just don't look like the type who listens to 'Savage Garden'."

There was a pause before Vic once again played the repetition game by saying, "Go eat, Wally."

The red-haired speedster chose to no longer argue, speeding away to eat... damn, what time was it? Was it lunch or dinner? He decided he'd check after he was done eating.

When food was all said and done and Wally was bored after thinking of what to do for about twenty seconds, he had returned to the room where Vic was, leaning against the doorframe. He was considering what he should bug the other man about, but apparently, the detective beat him to the punch, asking, "What is it, Wally?"

"So, like... are you stalking me?" Wally squinted at him. "What don't you know about me?"

Vic scoffed a little. "My whole world doesn't revolve around Wally West."

"Oh, yeah. Conspiracy - almost forgot." Wally paused, then said, "Seriously. What's so damned important about knowing what kinds of things I like to eat?"

"I just happen to know from my habits." Vic didn't once turn around to face at his guest. "Clark likes his Italian, Bruce has a broad taste from French to Japanese cuisine, Ted likes tuna..."

Wally lifted a brow. "Ted?"

"Blue Beetle."

"Oh. Hey, what does J'onn like? Besides oreos. I mean, wow; unhealthy obsession. ...Wait, I'm talking to YOU about unhealthy obsessions..."

Vic didn't seem to take offense at the remark, but faintly scowled at the subject apparently - it was difficult to tell with him, honestly. "He's a vegetarian," he muttered quietly. "Planning to make the Martian some dinner, Wally?"

There was hesitation - puzzlement, more than anything, from the detective's remarks. "Huh? Uh, no..."

"Hn." Vic somehow didn't sound pleased, and Wally was completely baffled as to why.

Unfortunately, the doorbell rang before confusion could be cleared. Vic stood up after closing his laptop, and glanced at the younger man. "Don't touch anything or look through anything. Unless you want to know what Lantern and Vixen do at night."

"GRODY - jeez, what crawled up your ass?" Wally winced and stepped aside quickly as Vic went to answer the door, obviously without the intention of responding. He glanced around and sighed, decided to explore the tiny kitchen.

The person at the door was not anyone Vic expected, since he was not expecting anyone except for those from the League - the few who knew who he was, anyway. (Which were, to be noted, only Bruce, Wally, and J'onn, to his knowledge. And Wally was already staying with him.)

It was an old face, and it was amusing, though horrific timing. Still, he opened the door, brow raised. "Lois?"

"Still got that film Noir look going for you, Vic?" Lois Lane had her arms folded, smirking faintly. "How many times are you going to move in one year, honestly. It took me forever to track you down."

"I'm a little surprised you tried." Vic immediately wondered the reasons.

Lois shrugged. "Hey, look; I'm not up to rekindling any old flames here, but you're still a friend, right? Besides, figured you could give me a bit of help. You might be doing the occasional news report, Vic, but I remember you had an affinity for detective work."

"So it's less friendship and more favor asking."

"If I was here for just to chat, Vic, you'd still be suspicious," Lois remarked. "But I'm halfsies on it; here to talk, here to ask a favor. I've got some time before Smallville decides to try to pick his way into the story."

Vic considered, glancing over his shoulder. Then he shrugged. "I have company over, but I hardly doubt he'll mind." He stepped aside to let her in.

Taking the hesitant invitation to step inside, Lois grinned. "You, company? Who's the victim?"

"Funny." Vic wasn't amused.

"Hope you don't mind - I found some Ben and Jerry's in the freezer, damn I love fudge brownie - so I took the two containers and-" Wally stopped, almost dropping the containers of icecream. "Uh... hi?" He recognized her face, but he certainly couldn't act as though he did.

Though it appeared Lois knew his. She raised a brow. "Wally West, right?"

"We haven't met, have we?" Wally knew he was terrible at being dishonest, but he faked it anyway. He'd met Lois as the Flash, but never as Wally.

"No, but Smallville's mentioned you; you, him, and some others sheltered up at Bruce Wayne's from those chicken-wings," Lois grumbled faintly. She was hardly fond of the Thanagarian invasion, and probably just about every other invasion, even if they were big stories to write about. "Plus, you're the talk in Central City."

Wally paled. "Really...?"

"Lois," Vic grumbled darkly.

The brunette tilted her head. "Don't fuss, Vic; I'm not here for an interview or to pester him. But I thought I'd give you the heads up, West; you're a suspect. I don't believe it - anyone who's pals with Smallville wouldn't be able to steal candy from a baby - but you're under some suspicion for being responsible for the explosion. Seems like it was a bomb. No accident."

"WHAT?" Vic thought Wally couldn't get any paler, and was unpleasantly proven wrong.

"You walk out of your apartment, and a few seconds later, the whole place goes up. It's suspicious to the law, even if your record is as clean as it gets." Lois shook her head. "Look, like I said, I don't think you're responsible, and I'm not here for an interview. Not my story." She grumbled quietly to herself, "Clark snagged it."

Vic wasn't entirely sure if he was comfortable with that, even if it was Clark. Regardless, he pushed Wally to a chair silently, but looked at Lois. "What did you come here for, Lois?"

"It's a bit included in the explosion, but I'm not here to nag Wally." Lois went into her pocketbook, taking out a photo, but hesitated, looking curious. "Hey, why's he here, anyway?"

"He's a friend. We met about eight months ago." Vic could have gotten more precise, but there was no need to make her suspicious. Anymore than she already was. "What is it?"

"Jimmy took a photo of this." Lois held out the picture. "Thought you might be interested in giving a girl a hand in a story."

Vic scowled at the picture. It was a burnt and tattered remains of the Flash's costume. He would have glanced hesitantly at Wally, but he was more careful than that. "And what do you think?" the detective asked.

"Either the Flash was there investigating..." Not something Lois wanted to consider, from her tone. "Or he lived at that apartment and wasn't there - but his costume was. Or someone is a fan and that's just a party costume - which wouldn't shock me. You'd be surprised at how much merchandise are based on the Justice League. Wonder if they get a dime of the profit."

"Doubt it," Vic muttered. But also noted how much paler Wally managed to get, possibly deciding he was no longer in the mood for icecream. "I'll look into it, Lois. Mind if I keep the photo?"

"Sure. Jimmy has copies." Lois shrugged.

Once again the doorbell rang, and Vic's eyebrow almost twitched. He pocketed the photo, and quietly went to answer the door.

It was silent between Wally and Lois, but eventually the brunette let out a sigh. "Look, West; don't let it get to you. People died, but it wasn't your fault."

"I didn't really know any of my neighbors, but..." Wally looked at her uneasily. "I feel like... y'know, maybe I could have done something."

"If you had superhearing, you might be credible to that guilt trip. But you don't, so I wouldn't fret." Lois smirked faintly. "You might want to worry more about staying with Vic than what happened in Central City."

Wally wondered if he should be concerned. "Why?"

Lois frowned, folding her arms and thinking of a way to phrase it. "He's a real interesting guy - we dated in college - but you can't do a thing without making him think there's a motivation behind it. A bad one, anyway. He doesn't trust so easily, but I guess I can understand why, in his case. He's just real excessive in it." She paused before continuing. "Though you're here, so I guess he must like you just fine. Vic is probably less social than Batman," she remarked dryly.

Wally smiled faintly; yes, that was probably true, even if it was only a joke to Lois. "Wouldn't surprise me."

"Just be careful. He's a little obsessive."

"...A little." Wally eyed at her.

Lois rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to be kind for the poor guy's sake, and yours. Just be careful; he's not a complete psychopath you have to worry about wanting to kill you or something, but if he likes you enough, he'll do everything he can to know about you. How you breathe, how you eat, if you drool in your sleep..."

"He's ALWAYS been like that?"

"Not in our early college years, but after he graduated, he got worse and worse over awhile. Which is pretty much why I had to break it off with him. Good guy, but definitely a bit crazy." Lois smirked. "Now that I'm done creeping you out, you going to hold up just fine?"

"Yeahwell, so long as I don't freak out about my stalker." Wally shrugged.

"Good enough for me. Expect Smallville to swing by, if he knows you're here - but I'll keep it hushhush. Vic wouldn't appreciate reporters coming up to his door and wanting a story, much less people just knocking on his door." Lois lifted her head, frowning, and looked over her shoulder. "Speaking of which, wonder who's there."

The question would remain as such, as Vic made his return and looked slightly more irritable, in spite of the fact that he seemed to keep the lack of facial expression even without his mask. He stopped, glancing between both of his guests before announcing, "Getting coffee. Either of you want any?"

Wally shook his head, but Lois nodded, "Yeah, I'll have a cup. Don't suppose you remember how I take it?"

Vic scoffed faintly. "I make a point to remember all my notes." He turned and went into a kitchen; Lois glanced after him silently, then shrugged.

* * *

Coffee was given and there wasn't much discussion. Vic wasn't easy to talk to, Wally was still disturbed, and Lois was stuck in the middle of it. She announced that she would be in Hub City for a day at most, so that hopefully Vic could give her clues. Unfortunately for her, he wasn't going to be able to give her any.

Once she left, Vic had noticed how much more tired Wally looked, in spite of all that he had eaten - including his icecream. No loss, but Wally was now capable of assuming his sweet tooth.

Regardless, the younger hero was exhausted, even if he didn't like to admit it. When he caved in, he sighed and shrugged. "Where should I sleep?"

"The bed." Wally gave him a look, and Vic narrowed his eyes a bit. "I'm not going to join you if that's what you're worried about."

"It's just... it's your place; I don't wanna grab your bed if I'm just stayin' over for awhile."

The detective shrugged, as if that was all he needed to do in his defense. "Go to bed."

Wally stood up, but hesitated. "Who was at the door earlier?"

A pause, and Vic seemed to consider if he should tell. Then he admitted, "The Martian came by briefly and asked if you were all right. He was busy, so he didn't come in." His tone hinted he didn't seem to mind that. "What did Lois have to say?"

"Not much." Wally was a terrible liar.

Vic knew that especially. "Right." Though he didn't pursue to know about their conversation, telling the speedster once more, "Go to bed, Wally." He turned and went back to the room with his computer.

It was awkward and silent. Before he went to discover the bedroom, Wally wondered if he was really better off here than at Wayne Manor.

* * *

**Next:** Bruce shows up to make a statement. Clark points his finger a lot and makes the 'I'm warning you' statement. Vic denies all claims. Wally wonders if he should Freak the Hell Out yet.

**Notes:**

In a version of the comics, I think in college Lois either went out with Vic Sage or had a crush on him. Either way, it makes it interesting and makes me curious if they'll address that concept in JLU ever.

The explosion wasn't just an excuse to make Wally room with Vic temporarily. Just a big part of the reason. It'll be addressed later/soonish.

I was originally going to do J'onn/Wally, but somehow Vic butted his way into it. I don't get it either.

Reviews make me smile.


	2. Questionable Circumstances

**Disclaimers and Useless/Useful Stuff to Know:  
**Don't own Justice League. Never did, never will. Post-Doomsday Sanction. Contains slash.**

* * *

Pink Makes Me Uncomfortable**

by Alba Aulbath

* * *

It was quite possibly two in the morning and hardly an appropriate time to call someone on their phone - much less, their cell phone. On most occasions, people would be asleep at the time and would unfortunately wake up to the sound of the phone ringing at them and demanding to be picked up. Now, generally, Vic was sensible enough to get sleep by at least one in the morning, but he had been up late, doing some business. 

Like watching over Wally and investigating what little he could by just staying at home.

When his cell rang, it was bothersome due to the fact that any few people who might have known the number would not be sane enough to call at such an ungodly hour.

"Who is it?" Vic asked calmly, not at all letting any exhaustion into his tone.

"Vic," the voice on the other end regarded with caution, but a lighter tone than Vic was particularly used to.

The detective almost twitched. "Hello, Bruce. Bit late for a chat, isn't it?"

"How's Wally?"

The question wanted to be avoided, predictably. "Fine. His suit was destroyed, and there's a number of suspicions going around about him. He can stay here as long as he needs to; no one will bother him."

Somehow, that hardly comforted Bruce, regarding his tone. "You and I need to talk, Vic."

"We are."

"Vic and Bruce need to have a conversation, downtown Hub City, that Indian cuisine you like taking Wally to so much."

That was _not_ any of Bruce's business. It had to be only _Batman_ who was capable of getting any kind of rise out of the Question. "What's the occasion for Bruce Wayne?"

"Holding an interview for the local newsreporter Vic Sage in relation to concerns of Central City. Bruce is the donating type, in or out of Gotham."

There was the temptation to say 'no'. Vic had wanted to keep his eye on Wally as much as he could, but clearly, this wasn't going to be possible in the next few hours. He'd have to make sure that he wouldn't be lonely, though.

Fortunately, Lois was in the city.

"What time is good for you, Bruce?"

* * *

Either morning or afternoon, Wally didn't know, he had woken up to the sound of harsh knocking on the front door, which was quite surprising. After all, where would Vic possibly be to not answer whoever was there? 

In a matter of seconds, the Fastest Man hurried around the apartment, cleaning himself quickly and nabbing some clothes he found that Vic had folded and set for him - it was a bit big, a dark sweater and pair of jeans, but he would deal - and stopped in front of the door before brushing back short red hair lazily.

Opening it, Wally looked a bit surprised and squinted faintly. "Lois?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Lois folded his arms. "You ready to go, Wally?"

That was even more confusing. "Huhwhuh?"

"Vic called me this morning and said he had to run out and meet someone; told me to keep you company. I'm not up for babysitting, but figured you'd be better off with my company than Vic's anyway." Lois smirked a little. "Vic didn't tell you?"

Wally shook his head, then paused; he held up his index finger, telling her, "Hold that thought." He turned and glanced around the apartment quickly for anything out of the usual that he hadn't noticed before. Peoples strewn about, newspaper clippings, laundry that really needed to be done, a post-it note on the 'fridge-

Stopping, the redhead peered at the little yellow paper.

_Wally,  
Ran out to see someone. Lois will be by. Stay with her. BBS. - Vic_

"Couldn't be more vague," he muttered, then sighed immediately afterwards. Being vague was something Vic did very well, and was probably going to be seriously annoying to Wally; though understandably, the detective probably wouldn't go into details for his own benefit. Vic just wouldn't want to worry the young speedster.

It was still irritating.

Hurrying back to the front door, he waved the little paper between a thumb and an index finger. "I didn't even notice this," he admitted, grinning sheepishly. "Where we going?"

"Well," Lois began, placing a hand to her hip, "I'd give you the grand tour of the city, but it's not exactly the most jolly place to explore. It makes Gotham look like an innocent suburbian city. So I figured I'd just take you to a little restaurant down the street and we should be okay."

"Y'don't mind takin' time to hound me?" Because that was all Wally assumed this was. Someone had to keep an eye on him considering what the hell happened - which was not something he appreciated. He wasn't a child, he wasn't going to do anything stupid...

Well, okay, he might.

"Hound? No. I'm not going to coddle you, or tell you everything will be all right or anything like that. But we can definitely chat or something. Besides, you're a resident of Central City, you can probably tell me something about the Flash while we're out." Lois motioned him to follow. "Keep close, Wally; you have no idea how many muggers love to populate the streets. Be lucky if you snag a taxi."

Wally almost hesitated to step out of the apartment. It was secure, in a bizzare way, and there were some other things that he had heard from her before. "What if someone recognizes me out here?"

"If they did, I don't think anyone's going to care. Besides, it's not like it was your fault. If it was, Vic wouldn't have let you room with him." Lois waited for him outside the door, folding her arms. "Come on. It won't be a long walk, and we'll talk. Smallville says it's one of your favorite things to do."

"Clark's got no idea." Wally pulled on a pair of shoes - he wasn't even entirely sure if they were his or not, he wasn't paying attention and wasn't up to checking - and stepped out the door after her.

Not babysitting him. Just spending time talking to someone who was writing a story on either you being dead, known, or being responsible for deaths.

Not a problem.

* * *

It was indeed one of the spots he preferred to take Wally to, knowing the speedster favoring the spicier foods of the world. Honestly, it wasn't one of Vic's favorite restaurants, but it was a bit late to argue on the location of the meeting, anyway. 

Arriving on time, the paranoid detective sat himself down across from the billionare boy. A facade, of course. Ironically, the physical mask was the inner-man of the Dark Knight, and the rich boy was the disguise.

"Bruce," Vic muttered in greeting.

"Victor." Bruce's tone was eerily light and quite friendly, but the detective knew why; appearances were being kept, for the moment, as the waiter came near. "Hello. Just coffee, please. Cream, no sugar. I haven't finished looking at the menu yet."

Vic's appearance, however, was usually about the same. He didn't become friendly or lighten his voice. "Coffee. Black. ... Curry. With chicken."

Nodding, the waiter left. The detective sat back and took off his hat, scowling at Bruce, but said nothing. He was waiting for Gotham's protector to begin.

"How's Wally." It was hardly a question; the Batman was demanding.

"You asked me that when you called at two in the morning."

Batman did not repeat himself. It almost caused the paranoid detective to sigh in irritation.

Vic shrugged instead. "He's tolerating the situation. Honestly, he's just biting everything back."

"When did you tell him about your name?"

"Whenever. Not important. What do you need?"

Batman narrowed his eyes faintly. "Why did you take Wally in? He could have stayed at the Tower, or-"

"Or Wayne Manor?" Vic stared at him, his face completely expressionless. "You'd be wonderful company, Bruce."

The darker detective was almost inclined to grant him a diabolical snarl, but had better control over his emotions than that. The fact of the matter was, while there was a level of understanding and respect between the two - they both had quite the habit of obsessive tendacies, to the point in which they discovered both of their civilian names and lives, which had irritated the both of them - both Vic and Bruce were also capable of getting on each other's nerves.

After all, they knew exactly what to say to piss each other off.

"Why did you take Wally in," was repeated, much more flatly.

"Wanted to." Vic shrugged. "Someone had to. I have time to make for him. Can you?"

That wasn't something to be answered, apparently. Batman completely avoided it. "Is it personal?"

"Don't know?"

There was a dark, wry smirk on Batman's face. The expression caused Vic to chew the side of his mouth in irritation. "I know. Don't you?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"We play the 'denial' game really well, Vic. The fact of the matter is, you shouldn't make it personal. Don't make this difficult on Wally, or I will get involved."

Vic did not usually take well to threats, especially when he knew that Batman would do exactly that. "Oh really." His tone shook with a chill, something trembling that suggested merely... disturbance.

Batman played the dark and frightening detective; Vic was the creepy and paranoid one. That set them apart, which was possibly why they rubbed each other the wrong way.

"I know your history, Vic. Obsessive, possessive, compulsive; you make it personal, you make it difficult." Batman narrowed his eyes. "For both of you."

"This is what you wanted to talk about, Bruce?" Vic briefly eyed at his glass of water, thinking how nice it'd be to throw it on the Dark Knight's face. "Me, housing Wally? I move him to anyone who's even more involved in the media than me - namely a billionare man - and he gets more attention than necessary. Lois knows he was with you when Thanagar invaded; who else knows?" He folded his hands together. "You know probably by now: Wally's being suspected by the authorities of blowing up his own home. Why would they think he'd be in Hub City? He's safer with me right now than with you or Clark."

The points were clear, and the silence made Vic feel silent triumph.

Still, it didn't stop Batman from snarking at him.

"I find him miserable, and I'll make you feel as if you should be rotting in the ground five years ago."

Vic stared at him flatly. "Charming."

The subject was put to a pause when both of their coffees arrived. It didn't help the tension much.

When the waiter left, Batman continued. "I've started investigating. Obviously, there's a connection to Wally; it wasn't random at all. There'd been a bomb specifically set up in his apartment, but apparently, he didn't realize it. That's all that I've gotten so far."

Vic nodded once. "Any suspects?"

"Most of them are locked up, and others... doesn't make sense to me. Not Grodd's style, and he seems the most likely to know about who Wally is and where he lives. Trickster, maybe, except it's not flashy and he hasn't gloated about it yet. Plus, if he knew about Wally, he'd have shared it with others by now." Batman narrowed his eyes, irritated. "I've narrowed down the list - which isn't helping."

"Maybe you've overlooked an unlikely link."

Batman shrugged. "That's your job."

That was true. Vic was already involved, and he already had quite the desire to find out what he needed to, at any cost.

Nothing was going to stop him.

* * *

It had been, in Lois's opinion, lucky that they hadn't run into any muggers considering they were practically the population of Hub City. She had mused as they walked that she wondered why Vic stubbornly stayed in the city - it was literally prepared to collapsed onto itself. 

She had stated, "The League isn't even really doing anything about it. Sure for a few years, the faceless guy's been dealing with it, but if the League isn't going to jump in, it makes you wonder if the place is worth saving."

That had made Wally silently wince, and... well, sure, he was curious, too. While Wally toggled between Keystone and Central City himself - which to most would be difficult but hey, he was the Fastest Man Alive - they were only a little less sunny in appearances than Metropolis. Hub City could make Gotham blush.

If cities blushed, anyway.

Regardless, Wally wondered: what kept Vic anchored to Hub City?

Maybe Vic Sage just gave a damn.

Lois and Wally finally arrived at a restaurant, and the speedster immediately recognized it with a little bit of fondness. He'd been taken here on a few occasions during his lunch time with Vic.

"You don't mind spicey, right?" Lois glanced to her companion, tilting her head.

"Nah, I prefer it."

"Good. Come on."

After they stepped inside, it wasn't long until they were seated. Lois seemed to be fine taking up her side of a conversation, since Wally was feeling unusually not-so-talkative - which was quite normal when you felt responsible for the death of others and the law thought the same for different reasons.

"I have to say, I still find it surprising that Vic's having you stay - not that I'm not grateful, you don't deserve to be blamed for something that wasn't your fault. He just doesn't really try to reach out, and when he does, he can definitely be a creep about it." Lois took her seat across from the red-haired man. "It's not like he'll put up video cameras where you live and watch you 24/7 - but that's probably because he hasn't thought of it yet."

Wally hesitated. Well, sure, Vic was obsessive and probably had some problems (okay, he had a lot of problems, who didn't) but he wouldn't video tape people.

Would he?

"Though that doesn't mean he won't watch you when he can and take notes on every little thing you do. I have no idea if it's a trust thing or if it's a thrill for him."

Depending on the person, one could take her words the wrong way.

Wally West was that kind of person, and it make him think. Thrill? Vic didn't really strike him as the type. After all, a good chunk of the League pretended that there was no such thing as a sex drive - though he supposed you'd have to, running around in spandex.

Then again, even as the Question, Vic did not wear spandex.

"Uh-huh," is all Wally replied with, to let her know he was listening.

"I remember when we were dating, I felt like I was practically incapable of going anywhere without telling him where exactly and when I'd be back. Even then, I could swear, somehow he'd be watching me. He has the best interests, but talk about obsession." Lois shook her head. "There was that time I found several photos of me in one of his desks. That had been the final straw."

What the heck was Vic doing with photographs? Wally didn't want to consider the possibility.

But he did.

_Man, what's he do with all of those photos? By himself? ... OhjeezIdon'tthinkIwannaknow. And_ watching _her?_

A little too much information for him. Really.

"I mean, Bruce wasn't that bad," Lois muttered, shaking her head.

"So, uh... should... I be worried about Vic?" Wally asked weakly.

Lois looked alert, then smacked her palm to her forehead. She had been worrying the poor guy after all of the trauma he'd been going through. _Smooth, Lois._ "Oh, _no_! No, you have nothing to worry about Wally. Sorry. I was just remembering outloud." She laughed a little, mostly awkwardly. "Besides, he has redeeming qualities, and a part of me really can't entirely blame him for being the way he is. He's been lied to so much in his life. Anyway, it's not like you have to worry about him stalking you. You're not dating him or anything."

No, they weren't. Vic was a friend, though, and Wally worried. Sure, they all had problems, but... Vic was starting to outdo Bruce's 'King of Issues' status.

"You're not, right?" Lois peered at him.

Aside from doing the lunch thing every Friday? Wally was pretty sure that didn't entail the status of 'dating'. But it made him think for a moment. "Nah."

Lois noted his pause. "Uh-huh." She grinned for a moment.

He hoped to change the subject. "So besides being kinda-sorta creepy..." Wally trailed off, unsure how to ask his question.

Yet, Lois seemed to understand, smirking. "Like I said, Vic has redeeming qualities. For example, he has a completely gorgeous singing voice."

"Thank you."

Both Lois and Wally froze. The dark-haired woman peered over her shoulder, seeing the pair of men seated behind her, and met eye-to-eye with Bruce Wayne. Vic was sitting across from the billionare.

"Uh," Wally greeted.

Vic nodded silently, giving some attention to his curry. "Convenient place to take Wally, Lois," he muttered.

"It's not like I know a lot of places in Hub City, Vic. Why are you here with Bruce?" The Daily Planet reporter glanced to the dark-haired man.

"Mr. Sage wanted an interview. A bit short notice, but I was more than happy to drop by," Bruce explained, his voice quite pleasant.

All three of them knew completely better than that. The friendly tone used almost made Vic choke on his chicken, Lois wasn't sure if it was appropriate to snark at Bruce, and Wally just felt completely uncomfortable of having hard Lois talk about Vic while the man was sitting right behind them.

Stupid fate.

"What is it you like to say, Vic? 'Nothing is coincidental'?" Lois peered over at the man trying to focus on his lunch.

"And what makes you think Bruce is here other than for innocent interview?"

Lois folded her arms. "You don't interview anyone for their innocence."

Vic hesitated, then glanced at Bruce, shrugging. It was a helpless expression; Lois knew of Bruce's alterego, and also knew of Vic's habits. It was a no-win situation in the matter, and both of them were incapable of convincing her it was just a perfectly harmless interview, because she simply knew better than that of both men.

It didn't help that she had dated both of them, they supposed.

"Well, what ARE you doing here?" Lois eyed at Bruce, expectantly.

"It's just an interview, Lois," Bruce assured. "Mr. Sage is currently housing Wally, and I wanted to assure that I'd like to do the best that I can to help him. Wally's a friend. I'm sure Clark's told you."

"Friend." While Lois was aware of Bruce's identity, she still had a lack of knowledge of everyone else's. Regardless, it didn't keep her from being suspicious of Bruce. "So you came all the way to Hub City because of an interview."

"And I was worried. Mr. Sage let me know that Wally was in town." Bruce nodded to Wally, who felt completely sheepish about being talked about due to his unfortunate situation. "So I had to come by."

That satisfied Lois enough. On one hand, Vic would probably keep anyone, even someone like Bruce, at a distance from Wally while attempting to find out what Bruce was going to do about it, and she knew the length of Bruce's obsessiveness as well.

Didn't have Vic Sage beat, though.

"All right." Lois considered, then sighed. "Sorry," she said quietly to Bruce.

He did offer her a smile, understanding perfectly fine.

Wally rubbed the tip of his finger against the rim of the glass of water on the table, frowning to himself. It was awkward, from talking about Vic's obsessiveness, to Vic and Bruce being there, to being talked about as if he wasn't there. While he did appreciate Lois's protectiveness, he felt like there was going to be a lot of that around from just about everyone he knew, and he wasn't entirely sure if he could accept it in spite of how he felt.

Guilt? Yes. Still in shock? Most definitely. The entire thing hadn't even fully settled into him yet.

Wally heard a very familiar click and lifted his head.

That had been a click of a gun.

To the speedster, everything was slow motion, and he turned his head to spot a man in a coat that shadowed him and a hat that also concealed his identity. Also, there was a handgun pointed at him.

Pointed at _him_. Wally West.

He planted his feet to the floor and shoved himself away from the table as soon as the man fired his gun, managing to only leave a bullethole in the wall. The restaurant went completely silent before there was panic.

"Shame." The coated man stood up, tossing off the hat and jacket. An all-too-familiar man. "I missed."

It was Deadshot.

Civilians shrieked and immediately began to flee; they were easy pickings for someone of Deadshot's calibur, but they were not his targets. The assassin kept his eyes set on Wally, who paled and stared at him. Lifting up a second weapon, there was a smirk in the sniper's tone, "Might want to hold still."

The handgun was turned to aim at Lois, who barely mantained a surprised noise; you get used to danger when you're in Metropolis, but she was currently in Hub City, miles from Superman. Batman might be sitting behind her, but he was still mortal.

Wally glanced at the dark-haired woman, at a loss for his options. He could only remain utterly still.

"That's the spirit." Deadshot fired at him.

It was in a matter of seconds, and Wally was perfectly capable of watching. For him, it was slowed. Vic had used his table to leap off of, right towards the speedster. The detective threw his arms around Wally, taking him to the floor - but the younger man still saw that Vic had taken the bullet for him in the shoulder as they slammed against the floor.

Lois let out a yelp of surprise as Bruce grabbed ahold of her wrist, pulling her towards him and taking her towards his table where it had been knocked over by Vic's stunt.

In spite of his injury, Vic stood up, eyeing at Wally; he gestured, ushering him to get away. Turning to Deadshot, the paranoid man took himself into action without another moment's hesitation.

Admittedly, it was one of the few times Wally had ever seen Vic in action - normally as the Question. This time, though, it was Vic Sage who was leaping in a completely perfected form, one that Wally was used to seeing in Batman. The detective let out a sharp kick, which had gone against Deadshot's knee; there was a loud crack in result and the assassin nearly fell to the floor, but was yet to be defeated.

The sniper brought up his elbow, slamming it across Vic's face, throwing him off balance. Deadshot lifted one of his weapons, preparing to fire - but had instead collapsed to the floor in a heap after Bruce had delivered a well-placed kick to the back of Deadshot's head.

Normally one would be grateful. However, instead, Vic muttered bitterly, "That's two I owe you."

"Three if you count our first meeting," Bruce grunted back.

"I'm not." Vic stood up, then he glanced down at his shoulder. The bullet had gone through, but he was definitely bleeding. The detective could only blink and say, "Oh."

"'Oh,' he says. _Oh_. As if you're _used _to being shot." Lois let out a nervous laugh. "Never mind, you live in Hub City. Damn it, Vic, try to stop the bloodflow, you idiot." She stood up and quickly started to phone for an ambulance on her cell.

"Jesus fucking _Christ_, Vic!" Wally hurried over, but attempted to keep himself as slow as possible considering Lois's presence and a few lingering (and panicky) customers. He grabbed onto Vic and pulled him to a chair immediately. "Take off your jacket."

Vic narrowed his eyes. He didn't like to be fussed over. "Wally-"

"Don't you 'Wally' me and take off your stupid jacket! I mean... _fuck_. Fuck, don't you jump in front of me and take a hit again, you lousy jerk!" Wally shook his head, helping the detective with his coat.

Bruce approached, taking out from his pocket some cloth and bandages. "Here," he growled softly, his tone much more like the Dark Knight.

"Always prepared," Vic muttered.

"Never know when you have to be. Go ahead, Wally. I'll go talk to Lois and make sure Deadshot stays down." Bruce turned away sharply.

Wally nodded, shaking. For him, it was basically a rapid vibration; he was nervous. Terrified. But he attempted to help anyway, unbuttoning the detective's shirt and peeling part of it back to work at the wound.

Vic, on the other hand, was perfectly calm and it pissed Wally the hell off.

Still, the realization began to set in as he bandaged the detective (something that came with practice, after a few years in the League). "Oh shit," Wally whispered. "Shit. _Fuck_, Deadshot was after _me_. Why...! I mean... _jeez_!"

"Wally." Vic eyed at him. "Calm down."

"No! I mean... God. Vic, it was Dead-fucking-_shot_ after ME. What the hell did I do? Does he _know_? What...!"

The detective had stood up abruptly, hands on Wally's shoulders, as he peered at him closely; there was only an inch between their faces, and it was closeness that Wally wasn't sure was on purpose or not. Regardless, Vic told him without hesitation, "Calm down. Deadshot likely doesn't know who you are; he gets hired to kill people, and typically isn't given anything other locations and money."

Wally hesitated, then laughed weakly. "Oh, _good_. So the person who hired him knows."

"Maybe. But it keeps a supervillain from spreading the information. Besides... you know we'll investigate this." Vic narrowed his eyes. "Keep your head, Wally." There was hesitation before he continued. "...It'll be okay," he reassured quietly.

It was definitely a rarity to hear anything remotely kind like that from someone like Vic. It was enough to make Wally swallow hard and nod to him.

Vic nodded in return and wisely sat back down, allowing Wally to finish the bandages. "At least, on the other hand, this should keep the authorities off of your back," Vic told him. "With Deadshot having been after you, it'll make it evident you weren't responsible for the bombing."

"That doesn't really make me feel better, believe it or not," Wally muttered drily. "But thanks."

Vic hesitated, scowling a little. He wasn't particularly good with being openly emotional, to assure him. "...Everyone in the League is watching your back, Wally." The detective looked up from his seat. "But it's _my_ eyes that are on you first and foremost, 24/7."

Regardless of Lois's 'stalking stories' having freaked him out a bit, that had been a strangely sweet sentiment from someone like Vic. Wally paused, then his expression softened.

"Thanks," was repeated, with much less cynicism from Wally.

Vic felt his pride and ego flare.

* * *

Oddly, it had been a quick visit from the doctor Vic was apparently all too used to seeing. In a place as criminally infested as Hub City, one was used to being injured somehow in someway... Vic Sage especially. It was a quick job, considering how clean the bullet had gone through. In any other city, a doctor would have insisted on the patient to stay. 

In Hub City, the doctor could only sigh and say, "Stay safe, and if the injury gets aggravated, take some painkillers."

Good for Vic, who hated to stay too long in a hospital, but typically for a city, it wasn't a good sentiment. It made Wally depressed.

Bruce assured both red-haired men that he'd take Lois back to her apartment, and even insisted that he stay for a night to make sure she would be safe. It was normally since they stopped dating that Lois probably would have refused, but after the incident with Deadshot, she quietly agreed. There was a lack of Superman around, so having Batman to guard her was well accepted.

Deadshot had been taken away by the authorities, but it did not make any of the four feel secure. Vic was sure that he was going to have to pay him a visit as the Question soon.

For the moment, there was Wally to worry about.

Once they had arrived to Vic's apartment, Wally declined the offer of food. It was something to worry about, considering the young man's metabolism, but instead of insisting he eat the detective agreed to leave him be about it.

In which case, Wally had gone back to bed, but could not sleep.

It horrified him. Deadshot appearing had made everything settle inside of him. Lois had been in danger, so Wally could only accept what would have been his fate, if Vic had not intervened. People had died, because someone had been after _him_, of all people. His home was destroyed, everything he owned (which was not as important but it still really sucked) was gone, people were _dead_, and some of his costume had survived to tell that the Flash had lived there.

People could be making connections, which bothered Wally even more. Especially since Superman's girlfriend was investigating it.

Wally bit his lip and turned over in the bed, eyes shut tightly. In one grand instant, everything went to hell for him. Sure, he usually kept optimistic - he was doing a good job of it, he figured - but he was in deep. As the Flash he had no costume, as Wally West he was being hunted by someone he didn't know. The League was watching his back and a crazy obsessive man was allowing him to stay in his apartment.

It was really fucked up and Wally felt like bursting into tears.

He sighed, staying curled up under the sheets. There was a desperate attempt at sleeping; he was tired enough, but his mind was just thinking so rapidly about the situation that it seemed almost impossible for him to rest.

The unrest was to the point that he didn't realize someone had approached, standing right over him, whispering closely into his ear, to the point where he could definitely feel lips and warm breath against him.

It was a voice he was used to hearing as an off-kilter, creepy tone, whether it was with a faceless man or a man without expression, but at the moment it was completely smooth and rich-sounding as it carried a tune.

Wally realized he was being sung to.

It wasn't actually anything he heard before, though in acapella it was actually quite soothing, which was odd to think of from someone like him who had never been soothing before.

The lyrics were difficult to remember or to even carry about; it was the tune and the voice responsible for bringing him, bit by bit to his slumber. But he could recall, particularly:

_"Honey child, honey child. You got a funny little way, a way of teasing."_

He really wasn't sure why, but it made him finally sleep, and that was good enough.

Plus, he had to agree with Lois:

Vic had a gorgeous singing voice.

* * *

Finally, he was satisfied when he was positive that Wally was resting. Stepping out of the room, Vic closed the door, frowning to himself. It was unacceptable, seeing someone like him going through this. Completely and utterly intolerable, especially since Batman's list of suspects was at such a minimum. 

Who would hire Deadshot to do their dirty work?

It irritated him, to the point of making his body tremble. Vic turned quickly, heading immediately to the bathroom. Peeling off his gloves, he tossed the leather into the trash before he ran the water blaringly hot. It burned, and anyone smart would turn down the temperature, but honestly he simply couldn't help himself as he washed his hands.

He grinded his teeth, just seethingly furious. Someone was hurting Wally, someone he had allowed himself to trust. Someone he had began to allow himself to care about.

It caused him to recall what Bruce was talking to him about before.

How personal was it?

Too personal and not something to think on, his mind told him.

But HOW personal...?

Vic tossed the bar of soap out and rinsed his hands before turning off the water. It helped, but he was still trembling, just completely furious.

It didn't help that the doorbell rang.

If it was Bruce or Lois, Vic swore he was going to strangle them.

The detective walked to a closet, opening it and taking out a fresh pair of leather gloves before pulling them on. Turning, he walked to the door as the bell rung a second time. Undoing the five locks (not including the knob) that were aligned on the door, he opened it, finding himself facing a tall man with dark hair, glasses, and wearing a suit.

Vic glared, trying very, very hard to keep from grinding his teeth. "Clark Kent."

"Vic, where's Wally?" Clark was concerned, of course.

"Sleeping. Who the hell told you this address?"

"Bruce." Clark frowned. "I'm sorry. I know it's invasion of your privacy, but Wally's important to all of us."

"Hn." Vic was going to strangle Bruce and then maybe kick him. "...I understand. Don't like it, but I understand. Lois is in town."

"I heard from Jimmy. He took some photos of Flash's suit, I heard."

Vic hesitated. "Inside. Now. Don't talk in the open." He stepped aside, allowing the Daily Planet reporter inside. After Clark stepped in, the detective shut the door, and began to lock and unlock the door, counting to himself.

"Lois is investigating, I guess, but I just hope she isn't going to pester Wally or y- ...What are you doing?" Clark turned to watch him.

Vic didn't respond until he was finished with the last lock, mumbling to himself, "...three... four... five..." Looking up, he frowned at Clark. "Nothing." He was shaking a bit less. Just slightly less. "Lois doesn't suspect Wally. She thinks he's perfectly normal. Just a victim. Probably from association with you."

"I don't get what that means."

"Farm boy Clark Kent. What do you think?"

Clark understood, then nodded. "But she knows that he knows Bruce."

"So do you." Vic shrugged. "Doesn't matter. More worried about Wally. Deadshot attacked."

Apparently, Bruce hadn't told the Man of Steel yet, considering his reaction (not that he blamed Bruce, all things considered lately). "He DID? When? Is he hurt...!"

"Earlier. Restaurant. Wally's fine. Physically, anyway." Vic didn't mention he took the bullet; it hadn't mattered. "Deadshot was hired by someone. Don't know who yet. Suspect list isn't long."

Clark sighed. "It figures. Bruce isn't talking to me much about it." He looked both irritated and guilty at the same time. Considering the incident with Doomsday, his friendship with the Dark Knight - if you could call it that - had gotten much more rickety.

It didn't keep Clark from caring, of course.

"Worry about the world, Clark. I have Wally covered. So does Bruce."

This brought hesitation from Clark that Vic did not like at all. "That's... what I wanted to talk about," Clark admitted. "Aside from checking on Wally."

"Mm-hmm."

"I can bring Wally to Metropolis. Or to Smallville. Victor, he's not safe here."

"Not safe anywhere," Vic told him. "Whoever's after him knows about his link to League. Maybe about Bruce, you, or me. Knows he's here, anyway. Somehow."

Clark frowned. "He's not safe here," was repeated.

Whether or not it was innuendo that wasn't there, Vic saw it in a different light. He could understand what Clark was getting at. "You suggesting I'd do something to Wally?" he asked darkly.

"Vic, your behavior isn't something I feel comfortable with. I don't think Wally needs to-"

"I would never hurt Wally," Vic told him sharply. "And I don't think we need remarks on my behavior after your stunt with Doomsday."

Clark visibly winced. "We're not talking about me."

"We're not talking about Wally, either." Vic felt himself quickly returning to angry trembling. "I'll let you know something, Clark. He wouldn't feel comfortable with you, either. He wouldn't feel comfortable with Bruce. He wouldn't. I know. Things. You definitely don't. I know he isn't sure how to approach you about what you did. What the Original Seven - or is it Six, can you people decide? - debated and did." The detective tilted his head, looking like someone who definitely ought to have been in Arkham with the way he eyed at Clark.

"If Wally is going to be anywhere," Vic told him, his voice off-beat and angry. "If he's going to rest, he's staying. Here. Not with you. Not with Batman. Not in the Tower. Me. He can't be the Flash right now. He can't deal with aliens and metahumans and other people running around in their underwear. He can hardly deal with his own crisis, much less what the League is going through. He is. Staying with. _Me_."

It might have been unnecessarily chilling from Vic. It might have been a somewhat deranged tone, but it was enough. Enough to convince Clark.

For the moment.

"Don't hurt him. Don't make this worse for him," Clark told him.

"I do, and the Martian can rip my mind out." Vic eyed at him. "You were leaving."

"Vic-"

"You were. Leaving."

Clark let out a soft sigh. "...I suppose I was. If anything happens... if someone else comes after Wally..."

"I'll let Bruce and the Martian know. Depends on them to tell you, Clark." Vic pointed at the door. "Done?"

The Kryptonian nodded, frowning softly. He turned his head, in the direction where Wally was; Vic suspected he used x-ray vision to check on the speedster. It was unnecessary, but if it made Clark leave, then he didn't say a word.

As soon as the Man of Steel left and Vic was done locking up the door, he came to a decision.

"Line my walls with lead. Note to self. Line. Walls. With lead." Vic seethed faintly, then turned to the bathroom.

His anger was at an all-time high, and he needed to wash his hands again.

* * *

**Next**: Wally finds out some things on Vic's background. The Question goes to investigate with Batman on who's making attempts on Wally's life. Lois connects the dots. 

**Notes**:

The clear some things, when Vic remarks that it's 'two' he owes Bruce, I'm counting two incidents in the comics. But I'll elaborate on that a bit later.

Deadshot's appearance was brief, but it's important, as you can expect.

Vic's obsessive-compulsiveness here is not based on anything in the comics at all that I'm aware of, but it'll be explained hopefully by the next chapter.

While this will be a slashfic, it seems to be taking a backseat to the 'who's trying to kill Wally' plot. Hopefully, that doesn't bother anyone.

**To the loving audience:**

**Red Tigress:** I'm very glad you're reading this, then. I have a wide variety of taste, ranging from slash to het to generally anything. I'm hoping it'll develop tastefully for you, considering the plot. And I love mystery, I seriously do. Besides the Question is a detective-type, I figure some mystery really works for his character. Plus, because it's about Wally, he's definitely involved.

**Emmy**: As you can expect, Wally's got his work cut out for him when it comes to denouncing Vic's obsessiveness. :D

**balletangel19**: They've never interacted in the comics that I know of, and they probably won't ever in the show that I'm aware of, but I love writing their interaction anyway. I'm real glad the interaction is just as fun to read for you!

**Sagga Bott:** For me personally, the Question became an instant favorite when I saw him in JLU. He's so different from everyone in so many aspects. Even though he's a detective type, his personality sets him greatly apart from someone like Batman. Flash might be my primary favorite, but Question comes to a close second, and that's just from viewing him in one episode!

**Kapparan Majic:** I really suggest buying at least a first issue of Blue Beetle, where the Question makes an appearance. I think it's the first issue, anyway; might wanna research that. Regardless, the Question is an interesting character. His comic series is definitely for a mature audience, though, for all of the crazy stuff that happens in Hub City. It's pretty dark, and it'd probably give you a good idea why the Question's kind of crazy in Justice League Unlimited. But I'm also glad it's witty enough; with all of the crap going on, it's going to need to have some funny bits.

**wickedomen1**: It's been a couple weeks, but here's the new chapter! Still like it?

**Reptilian Goddess:** Glad you like! I'll try to explain how the Question looks. As Vic Sage, he's actually quite a looker in the JLU setting. He has a very mature face, but it's not very expressive. I have to say, though, from someone I know, she remarked that she didn't expect to see 'the face of a model from someone who picks through everyone's trash'. He has the same shade of red hair as Wally, and it's cut relatively short. As the Question, a type of gas he uses seals on a faceless mask, but it also changes his hair to black and changes the colors of his clothes, so basically most people don't suspect (I say most because of Batman, who suspects everyone) that Vic Sage would be the Question. If you want pictures, I have some. You can either IM me or request by e-mail!

Keep on writing! Thanks so much for the support, but I'd still like more!


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